Court Avenue in Bellefontaine is set to close for repairs on Monday, September 18th.
The closure is expected to last throughout the week.
Court Avenue is the oldest concrete street in America, and more than 60% of the concrete originally laid in 1891 remains today.
Crews from the City Street Department will begin work on Monday to address a number of safety concerns that have come up recently, including some significant holes and uneven or crumbling surfaces.
“Just as with any other street, repairs sometimes become necessary for Court Avenue,” said Service-Safety Director Wes Dodds. He continued, “However, whenever we are preparing to do work on Court Street, we are mindful of the historical significance of that surface and are careful to complete the necessary work with as little disturbance to that concrete that has been in place for the last 132 years.”
This project will primarily consist of removing and repouring areas of the street that have previously been replaced.
The project will enhance the safety of the street for pedestrian and vehicular travel alike and will prepare the street to better endure the coming winter months, which can be hard on impervious surfaces because of moisture, freezing, and thawing.
Crews plan to excavate areas of the street on Monday and Tuesday, with new concrete being poured on Wednesday and Thursday.
The construction schedule is subject to change due to weather conditions.
Ader T***off
September 16, 2023 at 6:29 pmIf the history of the streer’s so important, shouldn’t the city hire professionals to do the work?
Richard pine
September 16, 2023 at 8:26 pmYour correct they should..when repaired the last half a dozen times they thow some concrete down..caulk the edges cheaply then the edges fail quickly with little maintenance after that
Ed
September 18, 2023 at 12:30 amAnother question is, if the street’s history is so important, why permit vehicular traffic?
Food for thought
September 18, 2023 at 9:35 pmThey didn’t for a very long time. I remember it being closed to traffic for years when I was a kid, then as business picked up and more parking became a necessity, it was reopened after doing similar repair work that probably resulted in the 60% original surface remaining. After this work, is it going to be 50 or 40%? You’d think they’d at least crush the removed portions and recycle it back into the new batches of concrete going back down if they’re trying to maintain historical significance.